You will need to sign on with your LLLID (La Leche League ID) before you can post. If you have never claimed your LLLID, create your LLLID now. To sign in, click the LLLID Sign On button in the upper right corner. Enter your LLLID Alias and click the button again.

Which size bottles to buy...4oz or 9oz?

Hey, everyone!!! I am just wondering which size bottles do you recommend I buy for when I return to school/work? Baby will be 3 months old. I recently purchased some 4 oz bottles, but am wondering if I should've purchased the 9oz ones? My boys never took the bottle well, so they never drank over 4oz in one feeding....ever. However, my SIL and a few friends' babies all drank like 5-6 oz every 3 hours? Bottles are expensive and I just want to be sure I am not wasting my money. What do you all think? Also, when you send milk with your babies to the sitter/daycare, do you send it already prepared in separate bottles, in milk storage bags, or in one large container? Thanks so much!!!

Re: Which size bottles to buy...4oz or 9oz?

I'd purchase 2 or 4 oz bottles. Look into paced bottle feeding to make sure you're not overfeeding. Smaller, more frequent meals are easier on babies tummies. Were your friends breastfeeding or using formula? sorry, I can't help with your second question. Dh stayed with ds at home for the time I worked.

Re: Which size bottles to buy...4oz or 9oz?

4 oz bottles. Breastfed babies need about 1.5 oz of milk per hour of separation from mom, so your bottles should contain 2-4 oz. If the baby needs more, leave a second "chaser" bottle of about 1-2 oz. That way the daycare provider will be forced to pause the feeding, giving the baby a chance to determine whether or not she is full. The main problem moms encounter when their babies go to daycare is overfeeding, so make sure your provider is familiar with the eating patterns of breastfed babies (small amounts more frequently than formula-fed babies) and comfortable with paced feeding techniques (see http://kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/f...ottle-feeding/).

Re: Which size bottles to buy...4oz or 9oz?

How to prep it depends on what your provider wants, esp if it's a center with set policies. My daycare asks for the bottles to be made up in advance ready to go, with caps*. I'm starting tomorrow, and planning to send 4 or 5 2 oz servings. I wish I could send one big bottle of milk and have them pour it out as needed! Less potential for waste, and fewer bottles to wash.

*I mention the caps b/c I had bought a bunch of Ameda storage bottle and nipples that fit them, then the center hit me with the "bottles need caps" thing, so I had to order some separate caps.

Re: Which size bottles to buy...4oz or 9oz?

How to prep it depends on what your provider wants, esp if it's a center with set policies.

I personally wouldn't want to send my kid to a daycare where the center's policies trumped my rights as a mom or my baby's individual needs.

I actually think it's better to send multiple small bottles than one big one for "as needed" feedings. Much less potential for overfeeding that way. Your daycare center should also be aware that while an unfinished bottle of formula must be dumped, breastmilk bottles can go back in the fridge and reused at the next feeding.

Re: Which size bottles to buy...4oz or 9oz?

Thanks so much, everyone! I think I will keep my pretty new Avent 4oz bottles, then. Yes, my friends babies were all breastfed!!! My SIL's girly was getting 8oz bottles at 4 months old. I tried to tell her I thought that seemed like too much, but she insisted her LO cried for more if she only gave her 3 or 4 oz. So, she continued to give her those large bottles and ended up having to wean at 10 months old due to supply issues and her baby always wanting more milk than she could provide for her. My friends little guy was always given 5-6oz bottles every 3 hours because that is how much she pumped while at work. He also nursed all night long...he was a chunky monkey, lol. She never had supply issues with him, nursed and pumped for him until he was 14 months old.

I think I will send multiple small bottles, and maybe one more bottle for "top off" if she is still hungry. I sent bags of milk for my second DS, but as I said, he never really drank from a bottle well and would only drink a couple of oz at a time. He reversed cycled and would nurse all night long.

Re: Which size bottles to buy...4oz or 9oz?

I agree with all previous posters. 8oz if way too much! Especially at 8 months! Get the 4oz bottles.

If you're using Avent, you can actually get almost 5oz in the 4oz bottles, in the unlikely event you'd need to do so. DD takes a 4oz bottle (Avent) at daycare about every 2.5 or 3 hours. Recently she went through a growth spurt (or maybe was just rebounding from a cold when she didn't drink as much) and seemed really hungry for a few days. I could overfill them to about 4.5oz. Then it passed and she's back to 4oz bottles.